Various Composers - Connections (Max Zorin; Vincent Balse)

Information

• Florence Price - Fantasie No. 1 in G minor for Violin and Piano
• Samuel Coleridge-Taylor - Deep River for Violin and Piano
• Vincent Balse - Jazz Waltz for Violin and Piano
• Igor Frolov - Concert Fantasy on Themes from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess

Max Zorin, violin

Vincent Balse, piano

Date: 2025

Label: Navona

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Violinist Max Zorin, acclaimed for his compelling performances, explores the fusion of classical and jazz traditions in his album CONNECTIONS from Navona Records. Featuring works by Florence Price, William Grant Still, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, George Gershwin, and a commissioned Jazz Waltz by pianist Vincent Balse (who also performs on the album), Zorin showcases underrepresented composers and styles. The program highlights shared idioms between genres, offering a fresh, passionate interpretation that broadens the classical repertoire. With its focus on diversity and innovation, CONNECTIONS makes a strong artistic and cultural statement within contemporary classical music.

Max Zorin has built a dynamic international career, performing in renowned venues across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and South America. He has appeared with orchestras such as the Saint Petersburg State Orchestra and Odessa Philharmonic, and at festivals including Aspen and Granada. Known for blending classical and jazz styles, Zorin actively champions underrepresented composers and contemporary works. His jazz-classical music video Mack the Knife earned him a Global Music Awards Emerging Artist Award. A dedicated educator, he is Associate Professor of Violin at Penn State and Artistic Director of a summer festival in Bordeaux. Zorin studied at Juilliard, Yale, and Stony Brook.

Vincent Balse, originally from Bordeaux, began his piano career at age eight, earning early acclaim with prizes such as the Concours International de la Ville de Paris. A graduate of the Bordeaux Conservatory, the Chiagiana Academy, and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, he later completed a Master’s at Juilliard under Jerome Lowenthal. His international performances span iconic venues from Paris to Soweto and Alaska. Equally active as a conductor and composer, Balse has collaborated with artists like Rostropovich, Wynton Marsalis, and Maxim Vengerov. He is currently a professor at the CNSMD in Lyon and musical director of the Lyon Chamber Orchestra.

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